You know what they said; the early bird gets the worm. But if you’re anything like most folks these days, you spend your mornings feeling like a slug instead of a warrior ready to take on your day’s challenges. We’re sure that sounds familiar to most people: You get out of bed, stumble into the kitchen then open the fridge only to find it empty or with some expired milk leftovers from last week’s shopping trip. Perhaps the kids are complaining that they don’t want cereal or toast, but you just didn’t have time to shop yesterday. Or was it that you didn’t have the energy?
Sound about right? Well, luckily, there is hope! If you make a tweaks to your morning routine, you’ll be on your way to achieving all those goals you’ve always wanted but never found enough energy for! It’s as simple as modifying a few behaviors or adding natural supplements like CBD for energy to your breakfast smoothie.
Seven Ways to Improve Your Morning Routine
1. Create a Plan
The first thing you’ll want to do is plan out your morning routine. What do you need to do? Do you need time for self-care? There are many different ways that your morning routine can be planned, and it’s going to depend on how much time you have after the alarm goes off.
In the medical field, healthcare practitioners recognize the benefits of creating solid routines for patient adherence. This starts with a plan! It’s generally accepted that this method of structuring time leads to a long-term commitment to lifestyle changes. And that’s what you’re after here! Many different planning methods vary in complexity, but this doesn’t mean that you need to have a massive binder of papers with multiple timelines to get the job done.
A blank calendar grid printed out on a piece of paper or a whiteboard that can hang on your wall is an easy tool to use. A blank calendar grid allows you to neatly write down all of your activities for the morning. They’re simple, straightforward and come in various designs, or you can just make your own. On the other hand, whiteboards make it easy to add or remove things, which makes them less intimidating than an old-school planner.
There are also apps like Google Calendar and Apple’s own Reminders, which allow you to jot down your schedule on your phone or tablet.
2. Wake Up Earlier for Self-Care
Use your extra time to read a book or meditate. For example, you can read a few pages from an inspiring book or do a guided meditation before ever getting out of bed! It helps to start your day with a positive thought in mind so that you won’t be negatively affected by the regular stress of everyday life.
3. Make Your Bed
Make your bed first thing in the morning and mark it off as your first accomplishment of the day. It just feels so good to get up, make your bed and have a clean space you can call “home” when you return later in the day. Make this task one of the first things on your list each morning, so it becomes part of your routine! Plus, if making your bed is the only thing you got done all day long … at least you can smile and say “I did something!”
4. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!
Try to drink two glasses of water between the time you wake up and when you leave for work, so you start your day correctly hydrated. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day will make you feel even more energetic and healthier.
By getting your hydration started first thing in the morning, you’ll be setting yourself up for success. Proper hydration is linked to positive effects on physical and cognitive performance, according to research. Who doesn’t want to perform better physically and mentally?
5. Exercise
Exercise could be as simple as getting out for a walk, doing a quick 15- or 20-minute HIIT routine or even heading into the gym for a complete workout — whatever your speed and time allow for. Just make sure you’re moving!
6. Eat Breakfast
Eating breakfast within an hour of waking up is an excellent way to help you stay healthy. One reason this is so important is that your body needs the energy to help it function. Eating breakfast provides you with these necessary nutrients and may even be able to reduce stress. That said, it should contain the three main food groups or “macros” for those into nutrition lingo:
- Carbohydrates
- Protein
- Fat
A quick and easy breakfast could be oatmeal with chopped almonds or some toast with peanut butter. Other options include smoothies with protein powder, frozen avocado, berries and your favorite supplement like CBD oil or maca powder to help boost your energy. At first, some people might find it difficult to eat breakfast in the morning. Still, after a while they might find that they realize how important it is and how much energy it provides throughout the day.
7. Start Your Morning Routine the Night Before
Do the first 30 minutes or so after you wake up generally feel like a struggle, no matter how much sleep you get? According to researcher and expert Dr. Raphael Vallat, Ph.D., that’s just human physiology and regular brain function. It’s something called “sleep inertia,” and it can really slow you down. One great way to overcome sleep inertia and have a successful morning is to start your routine the night before. This way, you won’t struggle in the morning, and you’ll be able to get a jump-start on your day.
The night before, set up your gym clothes and work clothes, decide what time you want to wake up, what food you’ll eat and what tasks or chores you want to complete before heading out the door. Have everything ready, so there’s no panic in the morning. You can also pack up any items for work and put your keys in an easy-to-find spot. All these little things will go a long way toward making sure your morning goes smoothly and that you have time for everything else you need or want to do.
Final Thoughts
It’s essential to have a morning routine that starts your day off right. Ideally, a morning routine will get you on the right track to start your day off in the perfect way. What’s usually included in your morning routine? Are there any aspects that you feel aren’t getting the attention they deserve? What would you add to make things even better? Small changes can make significant differences!
